Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
61. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if she will clarify the arrangements that will be made for the junior certificate 2022 that recognise the disruption that students have faced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4822/22]
View answerThe other element of today's considerations relates to the junior certificate. Junior certificate students feel rather forgotten by the Department. Today's announcement barely made reference to them. The Minister's statement this afternoon referenced that junior cycle exams would run in June as normal. She has already acknowledged that the situation has been anything but normal for leaving certificate students. Surely, it has been nothing like normal for the past few years for third-year students too. In fact, every single year of their school education has been disrupted. What is being done to recognise that disruption?
I am very aware of the disruption experienced by students who are due to take their junior cycle examinations this year. The State Examinations Commission, SEC, with my Department, has been progressing planning for these examinations in consultation with, as I have previously outlined, the advisory group on planning for the State examinations, which has met on a number of occasions to consider this matter. As I previously said, I also met with this group on a bilateral basis over recent weeks.
Following consideration of this matter by the Government, today I announced decisions regarding this year’s leaving certificate and junior cycle examinations. I was happy to confirm that the junior cycle examinations will take place this summer for the first time since 2019 having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 on foot of public health advice due to the impact of Covid-19. I was strongly of the view that these examinations should proceed this year. This year is the first year that all of the new subject specifications for junior cycle will be assessed by the SEC. A number of adjustments to the assessment arrangements for junior cycle have been published to take account of the impact of Covid and will provide for more teaching time in schools.
As part of the junior cycle, students normally complete a number of classroom-based assessments, CBAs, which have been reduced by 50%. The school also has autonomy in dealing with the CBAs regarding when they will be completed by students, with some exceptions. As CBAs are school-based assessments, schools have been advised that there are flexibilities in the windows for completion of the CBAs in light of particular circumstances within an individual school. The assessment task, which is usually assessed and marked by the SEC, will not be assessed in 2022 in the relevant subjects. Instead, the written examination will account for 100% of the marks, giving further time within the schools. Adjustments have been made to the requirements for practicals and coursework in subjects including, for example, music, home economics, art and technologies. No changes have been made to the other aspects of the examinations as these are already specific and very significant changes to their format. It is a recognition of the importance of running the exam for the first time in three years.
I agree with having the examinations. That was my position any time I was asked but if everything had moved up a division, the approach taken for the leaving certificate would have been an appropriate solution to the junior certificate. It is very disappointing that no further adjustments have been made to the junior certificate papers. Leaving certificate students have understandably been prioritised for teaching substitutes, notwithstanding the absences that still exist, which are very considerable, according to the Irish Second-Level Students Union survey. Junior certificate students were some of the last to return to school buildings. If I recall correctly, they were out until well into April last year. None of the changes take into account the increased levels of absence and the very lengthy school closures. Why have there been no new changes to relieve the pressure on junior certificate students?
By way of observation, I mentioned the contact I received from students, families and some teachers regarding the leaving certificate. It was actually teachers, most of all, who contacted me about the junior certificate. I am quite disappointed on behalf of their students.
I will be clear that 2022 is the first year that all the new subject specifications for junior cycle will be assessed by the SEC. Those specifications provide for a very flexible and wide-realm approach in respect of questions and options being made available to students. A number of significant adjustments have been made. I know from my own experience that the requirement that a number of CBAs take place for a subject is quite a time constraint within the classroom. Those have, therefore, been cut by 50%. The assessment task, another task that is time demanding within the classroom and the experience of what can be provided from a teaching and learning point of view, has been done away with this year. These are very significant and progressive steps forward. Other amendments have been made. For example, adjustments have been made to the requirements for practicals and coursework in particular subjects, such as music, home economics, art and technologies. It is important to recognise that there have been adjustments and changes to provide greater flexibility for junior cycle students.
I am aware of the changes to the CBAs but I do not see the consistency. I am disappointed that the Minister has not gone further in respect of the leaving certificate but, if we are to be consistent and we are acknowledging that the time lost to leaving certificate students was such that it required adjustments to the papers, why is it not the case that the time lost requires changes to be made to the junior certificate papers? Junior certificate students have experienced arguably more disruption due to school closures, amounting to almost four months last year. They are probably getting less priority for substitution this year. There were significant amounts of self-isolation, including among students. Why is the Minister not taking the same approach? Why is she not making changes to the junior certificate papers so those students have additional choice? It is a simple question of consistency. If it is worth it for the leaving certificate, why not for the junior certificate?
It is important to reiterate that there have been changes, amendments and alterations to the paper. The papers have been tailored to meet the needs of the class of 2022. I will again specifically reference, as somebody who has worked in the area, that it is a considerable benefit that the number of CBAs has been reduced by 50%. To address the time issue raised by the Deputy, I know it is also a considerable benefit that the assessment task no longer takes place. The adjustments that have been made to practicals, including those for music, home economics, art and technologies, are of significant benefit.
It is also important to acknowledge that the junior cycle examination papers are completed in a booklet format, with students required to answer all questions. The papers are designed to assess the subject specifications in an integrated way, reflecting the way in which teachers’ expertise is used to plan for delivering the subjects using integrated strands and elements. Any adjustments made to these papers at this stage would make them fundamentally different from expectations and what students are expecting. They would be more likely to disadvantage rather than benefit students, while acknowledging yet again that there have been significant alterations to, and tailoring of, the papers to meet the needs of the class of 2022.
